^2:1The Lord’s angelic messenger¹ went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors.² I said, ‘I will never break my agreement³ with you, ^2:2but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.’⁴ But you have disobeyed me.⁵ Why would you do such a thing?⁶^2:3At that time I also warned you,⁷ ‘If you disobey,⁸ I will not drive out the Canaanites⁹ before you. They will ensnare you¹⁰ and their gods will lure you away.’ ”¹¹

^2:4When the Lord’s messenger finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.¹²^2:5They named that place Bokim¹³ and offered sacrifices to the Lord there.

The End of an Era

^2:6When Joshua dismissed¹⁴ the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory,¹⁵ intending to take possession of the land. ^2:7The people worshiped¹⁶ the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men¹⁷ who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed¹⁸ all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.¹⁹^2:8Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten. ^2:9The people²⁰ buried him in his allotted land²¹ in Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. ^2:10That entire generation passed away;²² a new generation grew up²³ that had not personally experienced the Lord’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel.²⁴

A Monotonous Cycle

^2:11The Israelites did evil before²⁵ the Lord by worshiping²⁶ the Baals. ^2:12They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors²⁷ who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods—the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped²⁸ them and made the Lord angry. ^2:13They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars.²⁹

^2:14The Lord was furious with Israel³⁰ and handed them over to robbers who plundered them.³¹ He turned them over to³² their enemies who lived around them. They could not withstand their enemies’ attacks.³³^2:15Whenever they went out to fight,³⁴ the Lord did them harm,³⁵ just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do.³⁶ They suffered greatly.³⁷

^2:16The Lord raised up leaders³⁸ who delivered them from these robbers.³⁹^2:17But they did not obey⁴⁰ their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped⁴¹ them. They quickly turned aside from the path⁴² their ancestors⁴³ had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not.⁴⁴^2:18When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people⁴⁵ from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them⁴⁶ when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.⁴⁷

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Footnotes

2 Heb “the land that I had sworn to your fathers.”
3 Or “covenant” (also in the following verse).
4 Heb “their altars.”
5 Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
6 Heb “What is this you have done?”
7 Heb “And I also said.” The use of the perfect tense here suggests that the messenger is recalling an earlier statement (see Josh 23:12–13). However, some translate, “And I also say,” understanding the following words as an announcement of judgment upon those gathered at Bokim.
8 The words “If you disobey” are supplied in the translation for clarity. See Josh 23:12–13.
9 Heb “them”; the referent (the Canaanites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 The meaning of the Hebrew word צִדִּים (tsiddim) is uncertain in this context. It may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “snare.” If so, a more literal translation would be “they will become snares to you.” Normally the term in question means “sides,” but this makes no sense here. On the basis of Num 33:55 some suggest the word for “thorns” has been accidentally omitted. If this word is added, the text would read, “they will become [thorns] in your sides” (cf. , , ).
11 Heb “their gods will become a snare to you.”
12 Heb “lifted their voices and wept.”
13 Bokim means “weeping ones” and is derived from the Hebrew verb בָּכָא (bakha’, “to weep”).
14 Or “sent away.”
15 Heb “the Israelites went each to his inheritance.”
16 Or “served”; or “followed.”
17 Or perhaps “elders,” which could be interpreted to mean “leaders.”
18 Heb “all the days of Joshua and all the days of the old men who outlived him, who had seen.”
19 Heb “the great work of the Lord which he had done for Israel.”
20 Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
21 Heb “in the territory of his inheritance.”
22 Heb “All that generation were gathered to their fathers.”
23 Heb “arose after them.”
24 Heb “that did not know the Lord or the work which he had done for Israel.” The expressions “personally experienced” and “seen” are interpretive.
25 Heb “in the eyes of.”
26 Or “serving”; or “following.”
27 Or “fathers.”
28 Or “bowed before” (the same expression occurs in the following verse).
29 Some English translations simply transliterate the plural Hebrew term (“Ashtaroth,” cf. , ), pluralize the transliterated Hebrew singular form (“Ashtoreths,” cf. ), or use a variation of the name (“Astartes,” cf. ). The Ashtars were local manifestations of the goddess Astarte.
30 Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”
31 Heb “robbers who robbed them.” (The verb שָׁסָה [shasah] appears twice in the verse.) The expression robbers who plundered them is a derogatory reference to the enemy nations, as the next line indicates.
32 Heb “sold them into the hands of.”
33 The word “attacks” is supplied in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
34 The expression “to fight” is interpretive.
35 Heb “the Lord’s hand was against them for harm.”
36 Heb “just as he had said and just as he had sworn to them.”
37 Or “they experienced great distress.”
38 Or more traditionally, “judges” (also in vv. 17, 18 [3×], 19). Since these figures carried out more than a judicial function, also serving as rulers and (in several instances) as military commanders, the translation uses the term “leaders.”
39 Heb “and they delivered them from the hand of the ones robbing them.”
40 Or “did not listen to.”
41 Or “bowed before.”
42 Or “way [of life].”
43 Or “fathers.”
44 Heb “… walked, obeying the Lord’s commands. They did not do this.”
45 Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
46 The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
47 Heb “the ones oppressing them and afflicting them.” The synonyms “oppressing” and “afflicting” are joined together in the translation as “harsh oppressors” to emphasize the cruel character of their enemies.

Cross references

1 See Exod 14:19; 23:20.